A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
